


Willowbendt

by SilverWhiteRaven



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/F, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Other, Supernatural Elements, cross species, mer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-24
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2019-01-22 08:44:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12477744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverWhiteRaven/pseuds/SilverWhiteRaven
Summary: Royal and Heir to an ocean thrown, Nahla is never tied to her palace, at least not with a knot she can't undo. Her adventurous and curious mind leads her to any place she can swim, and her best friend and appointed babysitter, Eridanus, tries his best to keep her out of trouble, with little success. Soon enough this will bring about the unwanted, the fated, and the things some wish they could undo.





	Willowbendt

It was a night like no other; the moon's brilliant light illuminated the waters of the sea like shredded ribbons, clouds and wind working as one to create a serene atmosphere. A creature long hidden from the world slipped through the water and surfaced above a coral reef, not far from a glittering beach backdropped by lush trees and distant lights.

The creature turned its head and peered down the beach, southwards into the distance. A single beach house stood there, it's own glass-filtered light revealing a small patch of sand and dark lapping waters. Its acute sense of hearing allowed it to hear the distant laughter, as well as the gentle shift of sand as feet came near.

The creature resubmerged after spotting the shadowed figure walking down the beach. Its instincts told it to leave, to find another place to observe the land in peace, without the prying eyes and weaponed limbs of human-kind. 

Instead, the creature found itself swimming closer, still cautious of the formless silhouette. It nestled into a perfectly sized hollow formed in a small bank of mud. Peaking out once more, ocean plants adorning its head, it searched for the darkened being. It found it to the north, only feet away, far closer than it had expected. 

The creature flinched back, fear of discovery the only thing keeping it from quickly diving back into the sea. 

A lone cloud moved over the moon, plunging much into darkness. The crunch of sand slowed to a stop, and the voices from the cabana, the quiet forest and the splashing water became the only sounds.

And breathing.

Slow, gentle breathing, emitting from the solid shadow still feet away, if only a few more. 

When the cloud disappeared from the moon, it revealed a person. A human woman, to be exact. She smelled like  petrichor, and with her eyes turned up towards the sky, she seemed to glitter like the night's watery reflection. Dark, silky black hair flowed from her head, every one of her features soft and beautiful. Her dress, dark as the depths, was cut and sewn to fit her perfected form. 

The creature’s heartbeat became slowed, pounding like a ceremonial drum as it watched with wide eyed awe. 

The woman’s head turned ever so slightly towards the hidden creature, and in a flash of hot-faced panic, it shoved itself back under the surface of the water, and out into open sea. 

~*~*~*~

Two seemingly endless leagues later, the pure-blooded mermaid stopped. She could have gone further, longer, had her heart not been trying to shut down every waterway and muscle in her body. 

The image of the frightfully stunning woman was burned into her mind like a cooled volcanic rock on once burning wood. The shock, the fire of it, would eventually wear off, but the memory, the burn, will never go away.

Still,  she thought,  what  was  that??

The mermaid shook her head, allowing herself to sink into a thick mess of weeds. 

Human, only human… But why...why was she so...so pretty... No creature like her should be gifted so.

The mer sat where she was, motionless, staring through passing fish and hunting sharks at nothingness, thinking of the woman, the sand, the moon, how it all came together to form one perfect, surreal scene. 

Her mind continued to dart between what she saw, what she did, what she thought in those few minutes by the beach, for what seemed like endless minutes, even hours. 

Why, why, why, why…

The mermaid’s thoughts were interrupted mid question by a sudden, piercing whistle. The fish scattered, and a swift, familiar figure approached. 

From shades and glints of the water around her, the mermaid knew the sun was just beginning its rise, to trek far above the ocean’s surface. Clearly her time spent huddled in the weeds of the sea was long and fast passing.

“Nahla,” said the figure as it slowed, over five yards away. 

“...Eridanus,” she responded slowly, her mind still distracted by imaginary laughter and cloudless skies.

“Your guardians were worried when they saw you weren't in your chambers. They sent me to retrieve you in case you got into danger.” 

So predictable. Eridanus and Nahla had been friends of close bonds since childhood, when she first found him hidden in his own miniature fortress outside the boundaries of Petri, one of few large mer city. Though he was always known for his incredible speed even before they met, it is now something he can’t use only for himself. Now, he must use it to find Nahla every time she leaves without proper permission, by order of her overprotective and overly stern guardians. 

Pushing most if not all thought from her mind of the human, the mermaid removes herself from the tangle of the weeds around her. “Sorry,” Nahla whispered, sounding more distracted than truly sorry. “How did you find me?” she paused, then added, looking around, “Even I don’t know where i am right now.”

He looked at her curiously, eyebrows raised, before speaking again. “That is unlike you, Nahla. Where were you, and what happened? Do I need to inform the patrols of any possible dangers?” Her friend looked worried, if not panicked or a bit frantic. 

At least  he  cares,  she thought slowly,  more than my guardians seem to…

Swimming to join her fellow Petrian mer companion, she watched his lips, knowing they would not move when under water, except when he breathes and eats, or releasing a fish-scattering whistle like he had when he found her. 

Most of the mers communicate by thought projections and visual signs, as well as through all the other senses. But some few unique mers can speak with lunges and throats full of water, as well as some far different creatures. Pushing the thoughts of their language from her mind, she returned to looking into her friend's eyes. 

“It’s nothing, no need to be cautious, Ery. I just...got a bit distracted, is all.” She gives him a reassuring smile before brushing past him and swimming back in the direction Eridanus had first appeared. When he followed, she assumed it was the right direction back to the city. 

Keeping with her pace, Eridanus glanced at Nahla sidelong. “I’m going to find out where you go, you know,  every time you disappear.” She laughed, returning his glance with an amused glint in her eye.

“No you won’t, especially not when you’re looking for me. But, if you ever do, it will be like that first time I found you all those moons ago; you, looking for something for yourself, in need of something different, and finding something completely unexpected.” She smiled mischievously, trying to keep any emotions from the previous night from showing in her expression, and how much she might regret saying that later. 

Eridanus shook his head and returned the grin, amused scepticism of her statement showing. He retorted,  “ Right,  and we’ll see about  that , won’t we?” before giving Nahla a playful, teasing shove, ignorant of how true her words would one day become. 

Nahla Maji returned the light shove to Eridanus Ophiuchus, and soon they’re laughs turned into a race to the very edge of the sea.

~*~*~*~

**Author's Note:**

> I will be editing this work to properly show her thoughts in italics, and then add on new chapters! Do expect a long wait, I sure do love me some writers block ::D


End file.
